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By Root 5411 0

displayed in my Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, to which, as the publick has been pleased to honour it by a very extensive circulation, I beg leave to refer, as to a separate and remarkable portion of his life,a which may be there seen in detail, and which exhibits as striking a view of his powers in conversation, as his works do of his excellence in writing. Nor can I deny to myself the very flattering gratification of inserting here the character which my friend Mr. Courtenay has been pleased to give of that work:

‘With Reynolds’ pencil, vivid, bold, and true,

So fervent Boswell gives him to our view:

In every trait we see his mind expand;

The master rises by the pupil’s hand;

We love the writer, praise his happy vein,

Grac’d with the naivete of the sage Montaigne.

Hence not alone are brighter parts display’d,

But e’en the specks of character pourtray’d:

We see the Rambler with fastidious smile

Mark the lone tree, and note the heath-clad isle;

But when th’ heroick tale of Flora403 charms,

Deck’d in a kilt, he wields a chieftain’s arms:

The tuneful piper sounds a martial strain,

And Samuel sings, “The King shall have his ain.”’

During his stay at Edinburgh, after his return from the Hebrides, he was at great pains to obtain information concerning Scotland; and it will appear from his subsequent letters, that he was not less solicitous for intelligence on this subject after his return to London.

‘To JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ.

‘DEAR SIR, – I came home last night, without any incommodity, danger, or weariness, and am ready to begin a new journey. I shall go to Oxford on Monday. I know Mrs. Boswell wished me well to go;a her wishes have not been disappointed. Mrs. Williams has received Sir A’sb letter.

‘Make my compliments to all those to whom my compliments may be welcome.

Let the boxc be sent as soon as it can, and let me know when to expect it. ‘Enquire, if you can, the order of the Clans: Macdonald is first, Maclean second; further I cannot go. Quicken Dr. Webster.a I am, Sir, yours affectionately,

‘Nov. 27, 1773.’ ‘SAM. JOHNSON.’

‘MR. BOSWELL to DR. JOHNSON

‘Edinburgh, Dec. 2, 1773.

‘… You shall have what information I can procure as to the order of the Clans. A gentleman of the name of Grant tells me, that there is no settled order among them; and he says, that the Macdonalds were not placed upon the right of the army at Culloden; the Stuarts were. I shall, however, examine witnesses of every name that I can find here. Dr. Webster shall be quickened too. I like your little memorandums; they are symptoms of your being in earnest with your book of northern travels.

‘Your box shall be sent next week by sea. You will find in it some pieces of the broom bush, which you saw growing on the old castle of Auchinleck. The wood has a curious appearance when sawn across. You may either have a little writing-standish made of it, or get it formed into boards for a treatise on witchcraft, by way of a suitable binding.’…

‘MR. BOSWELL to DR. JOHNSON

‘Edinburgh, Dec. 18, 1773.

‘… You promised me an inscription for a print to be taken from an historical picture of Mary Queen of Scots being forced to resign her crown, which Mr. Hamilton at Rome has painted for me. The two following have been sent to me:

“Maria Scotorum Regina meliori seculo digna, jus regium civibus seditiosis invita resignat.”

“Gives seditiosi Mariam Scotorum Reginam sese muneri abdicare invitam cogunt.”404

‘Be so good as to read the passage in Robertson, and see if you cannot give me a better inscription. I must have it both in Latin and English; so if you should not give me another Latin one, you will at least choose the best of these two, and send a translation of it.’…

His humane forgiving disposition was put to a pretty strong test on his return to London, by a liberty which Mr. Thomas Davies had taken with him in his absence, which was, to publish two volumes, entitled, Miscellaneous and fugitive Pieces, which he advertised in the news-papers, ‘By the Authour of the Rambler.’ In this collection, several of Dr. Johnson’s acknowledged